


Welcome to New York

by Hastings1066



Category: Avengers, Marvel (Comics)
Genre: 1970s, 1970s New York, Brooklyn is in bad shape, BuckyNat Secret Santa, F/M, New York City, Poverty, slight dubious consent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 08:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9226691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hastings1066/pseuds/Hastings1066
Summary: The Winter Soldier had gone awol and Natalia is sent in to find him.Set in New York City during the financial crisis of the 1970s





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BuckyontheLam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuckyontheLam/gifts).



> For BuckyontheLam, I am so sorry this is late. I meant to put this up on Wednesday, but I had to work. I hope this fills in the prompt  
> "Natasha saves the day and Bucky is in love."

Washington D.C. December mid 1970's  
The message had been hastily coded and delivered sloppily to the apartment of Nancy Rivers, the young secretary for the FBI's Director of Intelligence.  
The moment Natalia had laid eyes on it, dread sank deep into her bones. Whatever had happened, it was going to end badly. She decoded it quickly and read the message.  
And then read it again, because it couldn't possibly be saying what she thought it was. But she had been right the first time. 

“BURN COVER: SITUATION WINTER: HEAD FOR SAFE HOUSE IN LANGLEY.”

Nancy Rivers swallowed and picked up the phone and tearfully handed in her resignation and apologized for not giving her two week's, but her mother had been injured in an accident and she was needed at home and wouldn't be sure for how long.  
A few hours later, Natalia Romanova had left her cover behind and was on her to the KGB safe-house outside of Langley. As she made her way to the safe house, Natalia pondered on hat had happened to make the Centre burn her cover so quickly. (Personally, she was glad it had been, whatever the reasons. Letting the FBI director treat her as his own personal punching bag had started to wear on her. So had had his liking for handcuffs.)

 

When Natalia finally made it to the safe house, Alexei Grekov, the rising star of the KGB's political sphere of all people, was waiting for her. And, to make matters worse, he looked nervous. 

“The Winter Soldier has gone missing,” Alexei began without preamble. 

Natalia blinked and nodded at this. Her earlier instinct had been right; However this would end, it would be a shit show. While she had never worked with him, or laid eyes on him for more than a few seconds, Natalia doubted that the Winter Soldier had allowed himself to captured or compromised in any way.

“I see,” she said slowly and. “Is there any way that he was compromised and is simply biding his time.”

Alexei snorted and poured himself a large shot of vodka. “No, his handler was found dead, strangled by a metal hand.” 

Alexei knocked the vodka back in one shot and sat down, rubbing his temples. “We already have some agents looking into this but...I think this will require a more delicate touch.” Alexei took a file off the coffee table in front of him and held it out towards Natalia.  
“The Winter Soldier's mission, the names of his contacts, and a list of addresses he might go. Find him, Agent Romonova, and bring him back in quietly. I don't think he is in his right mind.”

Natalia nodded and took the file. When she opened it, she was stunned to see a clear picture of the Winter Soldier. Something in the back of her mind burned with recognition at the sight. It was achingly familiar, but Natalia didn't know what it was, and for the first time in a long time, felt a stab of fear.  
But she pushed it away. There was no room in her life for any of that. 

“I know how valuable your work with the FBI was, but this is more important.” Alexei continued. “You have a way of getting people to trust you that is unlike anything the Centre has ever seen....We need that more than brute force right now.”  
Natalia nodded and turned to leave. “I'll bring him in,” she promised. One way or another. She took a look at the ticket in the file and sighed mentally. She had never been in New York for more than a few hours. And now, the opportunity was being handed to her.

 

Natalia had never been to Brooklyn before and after this trip, she hoped she would never have to come back. All around her, Brooklyn was decaying. The buildings, (those of which that had not been burned) were gray and dilapidated; the streets, crowded and filthy.  
Cops prowled down the sidewalks like thugs and the air stank of urine and despair. It was clear, despite the insistence of the bourgeoisie and the Republicans, that American capitalism was not the savior of the world. How could it be, when they had taken the jobs and homes of so many of their own citizens? 

But there was nothing Natalia could do about that except breathe through her mouth and carry out her mission. So she opened the file and tried to find the first address on the list. 

Despite Alexei's claims that they weren't sure where The Winter Soldier was, the starting points she had been given were awfully specific. The former Navy Yard, an old orphanage that had been burned down, and a couple of old schools. As Natalia made her through each of these places, her unease only grew. 

Something about this didn't add up. First, there was Alexei. He was political animal, mostly. He had been in the field, had done his own fair share of intelligence work and thus knew better than to have a long term operative just be pulled from the field. He had something bigger at play, and Natalia had been away from Moscow long enough she did not know what it was.

As she rounded a corner for the last address on her list, Natalia was relieved to see it was an apartment building. Maybe now she would find some answers.  
Pushing everything else away, Natalia hid herself out of sight and began watching the building, the mission the only thing on her mind. Focusing on the task at hand had always made things easy. Nothing mattered but this, and Natalia would be damned before she let anything else get in the way. 

Besides, whatever Alexei was up to, it had nothing to do with her. One day, his job would be to lead, and her's was to do what the State asked. 

(Do you ever think...maybe its time the State gave back?)

Natalia stopped and leaned against a wall for support as the memory rang through her skull. Someone had said that to her, once. Someone who had trusted her and she had trusted him. It may have been in spring, a long time ago. Natalia took several deep breaths and straightened. This was nothing, this would happen on occasion the doctors had told her. Just ignore it.

So she did. 

Natalia continued to watch the apartment building, and finally, after several hours of waiting she got her chance.A man entered the building and Natalia felt her breath hitch. 

Target acquired. 

She spent another hour watching the building until he left again, and then went in through the front door. The landlord looked none to impressed when Nancy Rushman asked if her cousin was living here.

“Please, he got back from Vietnam a few months ago and...well he left home and I just want to know if he is okay.” she pleaded and the landlord sighed and rubbed his eyes.  
“Fine,” he said. “He lives here, but I can't let you in.”

Nancy smiled her biggest smile. “Thank you,” she said in a breathy voice. “If you could just give me the apartment number so I can give his parents an address so they can at least write. That's all we ask.”  
The landlord grumbled but obliged and Nancy was on her way, and five minutes later, Natalia was sneaking around the back and sneaking up into the third floor. 

She made her way down the hall and stopped in front of Apartment #33, and carefully picked the lock. To her surprise, there was no trap waiting for her. In fact, the apartment was bare of anything except the necessities. There was a small table in the kitchen with a single rickety looking chair next to it and the bedroom was no better; only a mattress with the blankets tossed haphazardly on top of it.  
Natalia went into the bedroom and sat down on the mattress, trying to think about where the Winter Soldier would hide things in here. Natalia leaned back and her hand pressed against something hard beneath one of the blankets. She turned and pushed the blanket aside to find a brightly colored book about the beginnings of American special forces during World War II.

Curious, Natalia opened the book to where it had been bookmarked and read the chapter head line.

“Chapter 12: The Childhood of an American Hero:  
Steve Rogers in Brooklyn”

As Natalia continued to flip through the pages, she saw that notes had been scatted throughout the book, some in Russian and some in English. None of them made sense. 

As far as she could make out, the notes were thoughts that seemed to be interrupted half through by something else.  
The only repeating set of notes was in Russian, codewords of some kind.

Longing

Freight Train

Rusted

There was movement behind her and Natalia jumped up.

Too late. She didn't even see the fist coming for the side of her head.

 

When Natalia came back to herself, the world was on it's side and her head felt like it was being split down the middle. She was careful not to change the pattern of her breathing, hoping not to alert the Winter Soldier, then she cracked one eyelid open and saw the him sitting in front of her, watching. Natalia shut her eyes again and took several deep breaths. At first it only made the headache worse, but gradually the pain receded and she opened her eyes.

Her visions was blurred but she could see the outline of Winter Soldier in front of her. She blinked several times, and starred at him. He starred right back. Natalia coughed and tried to move, but her hands and legs had been zip tied together.

She was trapped. 

Natalia cursed and let her head drop back to the floor. “Well, let's just get on with it.” she said, her voice raspy. The Winter Soldier smiled at that. His smile was familiar and Natalia felt her chest tighten with something she couldn't identify. 

“Do you remember me?” he asked after several minutes had gone by. Natalia starred at him.

“No, we have never met.” she told him and he sighed. 

“Oh, I thought we had met. You look familiar. Then again, everything looks familiar but it isn't.” With that he walked over to her and easily snapped the zip ties with his left hand, then sat back down again. 

Natalia starred at him as she sat up and rubbed her wrists. Alexei had been right; the Winter Soldier was out of his mind. She would have to be careful. 

“Comrade, I've been sent here to help you.” she said, her voice gently and calm. “Please, let me.” The Winter Soldier smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. “They want to bring me back in,” he said and stood up.

“And they sent you to do it. Now, I know I have met you. I've heard you use that voice before, on someone's child. I think.” 

What? 

Natalia was almost certain that she had never had to work with a child. (Except, the Winter Soldier's words brought to mind West Berlin.)

“Soldat,” she said. “We need to leave and go back to our handlers.” For a moment, it looked as if he might comply. Then his stomach rumbled and he shook his head.  
“We'll have to go back,” he conceded.“We always have to go back. But let's get something to eat first.”

He got up and headed out the door, and if Natalia had been able to move without needing to vomit, she would have lept up and taken him down then and there. Suddenly, he was back and looking at her with a strange expression on his face.

“C'mon doll-face, I'll show you the sights around town, we can eat, and then I'll let you take me back in.” In that moment, there was nothing of Russia or the Winter Soldier in him; he was someone else entirely. And Natalia would play along.

As she slowly stood up and followed him out the door, Natalia wondered what the hell she had gotten herself into.

 

He hadn't been kidding when he said he wanted to see the sights. They walked for a good hour, taking in the sights and watching the people go on with their daily life.  
Natalia watched and listened to him the whole time. He talked about what was out of place, what was new and what was bad. 

According to him, the closed shipyard was a sign of calamity and how little the giants on Wall Street really cared for anyone beyond their own towers. He kept coming back to the shipyard, that bothered him the most.

Finally, after an hour of walking around Brooklyn, he bought them tickets for the subway. As they descended into the dark tunnels, Natalia took note of the all the signs warning them away. 

She had spent so much time in Washington, she had assumed everything they said about the crime rates had been bloated for political clout. After what she had seen, Natalia doubted it. 

As they waited on the platform, Natalia inched closer to the Winter Soldier. 

“What is going on?” she half whispered. “Please, did something go wrong on your last mission? Did Rodchenko-” The Winter Soldier tensed and grabbed her arm.

“What Rodchenko does is wrong.” he said. “It is wrong and everything has gone to hell because of him. I want to serve, but he just likes to play. And he has played with you.” 

He let go of her arm and gave her a pleading look. “One truth,” he begged. “Just one; Do you remember or not?”

Against her better judgment, Natalia gave him what he wanted. 

“You are familiar. But I don't know why.” 

The Winter Soldier let out gasp of relief. “I think I know why. We have worked together before, the, Rodchenko took it away.” 

Natalia opened her mouth to respond, to tell him “No” because that couldn't possibly be right. Dr. Rodchenko had never had to reason to work with her. (Hadn't he?). 

Before she could, Natalia heard the cocking of a gun and several sets of foot steps behind them. She pulled away from the Winter Soldier and turned to see several young men behind her. Natalia didn't even think, she just moved.

There was plenty of debris around her, soda bottles and paper, so with a snarl she kicked a bottle into the face of the one holding a gun and lunged.  
The boy yelped in surprise and before he could fire Natalia was on him and throwing the gun to the side.  
The pressure that had been building since the beginning of the year finally snapped and Natalia was done. Done with Alexei Fucking Greckov's games. Done with the Winter Soldier's insanity and done with whatever else this godforsaken city would throw at her. She wanted to kill everyone at the Centre and in Moscow, bu she couldn't so these little brats would do.

Behind her there was a shout and someone tried to grab her. Bad idea.

Natalia sent her elbow back into his face and smiled when she heard a crack. Two more tried to jump her, but Natalia struck on the solar plexus and the other at the knee. They fell and started before Natalia had even broken a sweat. 

“Behind you!” The Winter Soldier screamed. Natalia looked up and saw two cops running towards her, guns out and shooting. She ducked and grabbed the discarded gun. One of the cop's bullets grazed her leg but it didn't slow her down. Natalia opened fire and the cops fell dead before they had even hit the ground. 

Natalia breathed and for a moment, there was silence. But only for a moment. 

The next thing she knew the Winter Soldier had her by the hand and they were running. They ran and ran until they found an abandoned building and collapsed inside.

The adrenaline had worn off, now Natalia was just tired. She leaned over and the Winter Soldier caught her in his embrace. He held her tight and it was so familiar it hurt. But she didn't know why.

“I remember,” he whispered after a moment. “I remember working with you, and you were always so good. But they made us stop because I loved you.”  
Natalia looked up and swallowed. What he was saying was silly and useless and...and...true.

They had known each other and they had loved each other. Then it had been taken away because someone else said so

“I love watching you work, you always amaze me. Always.” he promised in her ear. Natalia chocked back a sob. “I don't what I'm fighting for anymore, or if I ever did.” she confessed and the Winter Soldier held her tighter.  
“I don't know either.”

Fuck them all, Natalia thought. Around them, Brooklyn was rotting, but so was Moscow and whatever hold they had had over her. She was tired and wanted back what they had taken from her.

“I think I remember feeling safe with you.” she whispered, unsure of where this was coming from. “And I think...I think I remember showing off in the sparring ring just for you.”  
The Winter Soldier laughed, a deep rumble in her ear. “I remember that, and you being a cheeky brat.”

Natalia laughed then sobered. “They will find us,”

“They always will.” he replied. “We can wait together.”

Around them, Brooklyn was rotting. But so was Moscow, Natalia was beginning to realize. And so were they.  
She didn't care.


End file.
